Lamar Patterson signs with the Hawks

A Third Team Pushing the Roster

Like Kyle Adnam, a standout in last week's win over the Saint Mary's Gaels, Patterson comes in as an injury replacement player, on standby to step in and play if the Hawks need to cover injuries across the season. But the bigger story is what he does to the club's depth right now.

The Hawks have never trained with a group like this. Adnam and Patterson, two veterans who can still contribute at a high level, lead a third team against the main roster every day, alongside development players Amarco Doyle, Fletch MacDonald and Brodie McGregor. Pushing the starters, pushing each other, raising the standard of every session.

Two-Time All-NBL First Team

Patterson first landed in the league early in NBL19 with the Brisbane Bullets, and he was that good, that fast: All-NBL First Team in both NBL19 and NBL20, back-to-back, an honour reserved for the best five players in the NBL. After a short stint with the New Zealand Breakers, he returned to Brisbane for NBL21.

His résumé runs deep. Before the NBL he played college ball at Pittsburgh in his home state of Pennsylvania, was a 2014 NBA Draft pick who went on to play 44 games in the league with Atlanta Hawks and took his game through the G League and on to Türkiye, Portugal and Italy, where he won the Italian Cup in 2018 and was a scoring champion in China the same year.

At 196cm and 100kg, he is a big, smooth wing who scores in volume and creates for others. Nothing about his game has slowed down.

Still Scoring, Still Dangerous

Patterson spent this year tearing up NBL1 North with the Ipswich Force, where in 2025 he was named MVP, scoring champion and All Star First Team, after winning a championship with the Gold Coast Rollers back in 2022.

Just last week, in his most recent playoff series against Gold Coast, he did everything a scorer can do: 32 points at 52 per cent in game one, then 40 points at 64 per cent in game two. At 35 years of age. On the other side of that series was Hawks new Development Player Brodie McGregor.

‍

He gave Hawkheads a preview earlier too. In NBL26, before injury ended his season with Brisbane after nine games, Patterson dropped 17 on the Hawks.

What He Brings

Leadership, scoring, and plenty of it. When called upon, Patterson gives Justin Tatum's side a swingman who can carry an offence, hit from range, and rise to the biggest moments. Injury replacement or not, this is a player with an All-NBL pedigree and current form to match.

Welcome to the Illawarra, Lamar.

By the Numbers

• Height: 196cm

• Weight: 100kg

• Age: 35

• From: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

• College: Pittsburgh

• NBL26 (Brisbane, 9 games): 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 48 per cent from the field

• NBL Honours: All-NBL First Team, NBL19 and NBL20

• NBL1 North 2025: MVP, scoring champion, All Star First Team

BE ONE OF US TOO

That's who's wearing red and black this season. Come see them do it in person, sixteen times, starting soon.

‍